One of the wonderful things about attending a convention is getting to discover new artists and their own approaches to tattooing. At the NYC Tattoo Convention, I stopped one guy with a great thigh piece and got a chance to ogle -- another plus to these shows -- and it turns out he owns a studio and was tattooed by one of his artists. That's how I came to today's artist spotlight on Studio 28 Tattoos, right in NYC.

Studio 28 Tattoos, a fully custom shop, was opened by TJ Cantwell in 2010 when he finally got tired of working in finance and wearing a suit and tie every day. TJ spent most of his time in The Village getting tattooed and decided to combine his love for the art with his business experience. He linked up with his favorite tattooists and created Studio 28.

Alex got his start in tattooing 18 years ago in his home town of Mexico City. Starting out, Alex had no one to teach him the art or take him under their wing, so he learned from looking through magazines, trial and error, and a desire to master the craft. Learning with homemade inks and machines, his first break came a few years into tattooing when a friend came back to Mexico from LA with professional-grade machines, ink, and flash sheets that Alex was able to buy off him. From there, he developed his skills, earning a reputation that has traveled with him to New York, where he has made his home since 2001. Alex has a diverse portfolio, but you can see a particular love for black and grey and photo realism.

Tattoo by Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds started tattooing in the UK 12 years ago. He says that, from as far back as he can remember, all he wanted to be was a tattoo artist but it was a hard business to get into without knowing someone in the industry. He then started his fine art degree at the Royal College of Art in London and after that joined the British Army, where he was in active service for 10 years. He got his break while living in Spain where he met Andrew Higham, who was willing to teach him. Using his degree, he progressed towards photo realism with micro detailing. He wanted to continue to learn from the best in the business and further refine his craft, and to do so, traveled the world from from France to Fiji. He's now made NYC his home base and works in all different genres of tattooing.

Both Alex and Paul work largely by appointment only. Studio 28 Tattoos is located at 108 West 28 St, 3rd Floor, in Manhattan.